Community Chat

[chickenbutt]

I have to admit that I've never gone there.  But from what I've heard/read I don't know how one would trust that any of these stories, unless they know the person, are at all true.

I have heard about some of them being uncovered as scams.    

To be honest, I don't think I will even go to the site.  Like probably many others here, I've had times when I had it really rough.   I've never asked anybody for anything.  But I also recognize that I've never had it as rough as some people have, AND I never had kids to feed.

Being a pretty non-trusting person, I guess I see it as mostly scamming. That's too bad for the legitimate people I guess.  

I'm always reminded of the guys walking around with the little business card-sized cards that said they were deaf and mute, asking for money.    One time I thought I didn't have anything and said 'sorry'.  After they had turned around and walked off I remembered that I had a 5 spot in my wallet.  On just pure reflex I said 'oh wait, I have...'...well, just as they turned around I realized that the person was not deaf at all (it was about 15 feet away and I was not yelling) and simultaneously the one person realized what he had done and took off.

That's just one example, but it's easy for a lot of peoples' brains to just become less and less trusting.    I'm not a monster.  I don't believe in bragging about good deeds, so I won't go into things I've done for others in my life, but I guess I'm just really cautious.

[Moonchilde]

If I was presented with a Go Fund Me situation I'd assess whether I thought it was a worthy cause or not, and either give...or not; most likely not. I don't see such requests all that often unless it's something in the news. I had a friend who started a Go Fund Me page to help her pay for unexpected vet bills. This, I get - not everyone has pet insurance or an extra $5000. Still, she was not a close friend and I did not donate; for a close friend I would have.

The people who start Go Fund Me pages for what is in essence "Give me money so I can go do this thing I don't have the money for" reasons are nothing more than panhandlers. I don't give to panhandlers - ever.

But I'm my final arbiter of what I'll contribute to, and why. I have contributed to Indiegogo and Kickstarter for inventions, where I will get something for my money.

[Chrystaltree2]

I've only visited once and only to contribute to a family I have known for 20 years and I personally know what they are struggling with.  

[Mmsfoxxie]

OMG!!  I just went on the GoFundMe site and it is unbelievably.  One lady was wanting money to buy an iPad as a birthday gift!!

[RainyDayGal]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I call go fund me requests "cyber-begging".  This is not how I donate to charity.  It encourages financial irresponsibility.  Everyone should have a cushion of funds for emergencies or at least a source for a legitimate loan.  If a funeral is involved, the biggest and fanciest is not necessary.

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Not necessarily true.  What if you are just starting out in life and have an emergency?  How does one build up a cushion when they're just barely in to a new job?  Or someone even loses a job and an emergency comes up?  What do you consider a good size for that cushion to be?

Life happens.  Expensives emergencies happen.  You can't always be prepared.

I have no problem giving to the legitimate ones if it's something I feel strongly about.

[Noel7]

I am not on FB.  My knowledge of Go Fund Me is from local news reports of tragedies where a GFM account has been established for a local family whose home has burned, or poor parents whose child has been killed and there is no money for a funeral.  The news team verifies the bank handling donations.

[MyGirlsMom]

There's good and bad in everything.  For every new invention or program, there are people who will try and defraud or use the "system" for nefarious purposes.

Life has a way of handing us curve balls and everyone doesn't have the means to handle them. 

If the need is there, the claim is legitimate and I have the means to contribute, I will do so. 

[Noel7]

I think it's a great idea that people who want to help a certain cause are often able to, be it GFM or another legitimate group.  

We have had schools broken into and computers stolen, others with their sports equipment stolen.  There are always locals who pitch in and help.

[jaxs mom]

Go Fund Me doesn't bother me in the least. People can do what they want. I don't spend my time worrying about if other people "deserve" a Go Fund Me account. Give if you want to, or not. 

[Mmsfoxxie]

When I was working (school), there was always a kid or two that you bought things for and that was fine.  As a matter of fact, if I weren't retired now, I'd be at Walmart or Walgreens right now buying school supplies for my students for September.  School uniforms, etc.

But if you have the very LV handbag that I want and can't afford... No, just No.  Some people have a lot of nerve.